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How to Make a Spring Terrarium with Succulents

Are you ready to welcome some long-lasting greenery into your home? Learn how to make a terrarium with succulents with this handy tutorial from Pottery Barn. Our DIY terrarium ideas show you how to make decor for your home and gifts for your friends. You'll have a gorgeous new plant display in no time!

Setting Up for Success

Start by prioritizing your succulent terrarium ideas in order to make a long-lasting arrangement. Succulents are often described as "easy-care," and it’s true they don’t need much to survive. However, when they receive great care, succulents can live for years and produce gorgeous blooms. When you keep your succulent terrarium in a spot with the right light, it’s even easier. As you shop for succulents, ask a local nursery employee how the plants change with time. Succulents that stand upright as babies might grow long and trail with age. Choose succulents and small cacti for this project – while some planters feature a mix of succulents and other plant types, it's best not to mix low-moisture plants with those that need more water. When you plant, give each succulent a couple of inches of buffer. This may mean selecting only two or three succulents depending on how large your terrarium is.

Putting It All Together

Once you have your plants, it’s easy to set up your spring terrarium. Start by building up the soil layers from the bottom – soil drainage is important in a succulent terrarium. These plants tend to do best in planters with a drainage hole, but because terrariums usually don't have this feature, you can line the bottom of your container with pretty gravel, then build up layers of sandy soil on top. This keeps the succulents' roots from sitting in water. To plant your succulents, cover their roots in soil and make sure they're well supported so they can stand upright. After that, add some colorful decorative sand or pretty stones to the DIY terrarium as a fun decorative accent. That's all there is to it!

After-Planting Care

You've set your terrarium up for success, and the rest is simple with the right balance of water and light. Succulents that look like they're melting – fading, drooping leaves that are rotting toward the bottom of the plant – are getting too much water. If your succulents are looking thin and wrinkled, they might need some hydration. Healthy succulents have plump, firm leaves; give your plant a gentle squeeze with two fingertips before watering to see whether it needs more moisture. If the leaves are plump and the soil is moist, even toward the bottom, they’re nice and hydrated – just wait a few days and try again. Water less frequently in the wintertime. It's also important to provide great light. Succulents love bright sun, but they're actually somewhat delicate and can singe when exposed to harsh beams. Glass can magnify this effect, so set your terrarium a few inches back from a window where it can get bright sunlight without direct glare.